For a long time, the view on external workforce, whether they are temp workers, secondees, or freelancers, was quite one-dimensional: they are there to fill a temporary gap. You pay for their hours, they provide the manpower, and at the end of the line, you wave goodbye to each other. Investing in their growth? “A waste of money,” is what you often hear in the boardroom. “Soon they’ll take their new knowledge to the competition.”
But anyone who thinks that way in 2026 is looking through frosted glasses. And that’s not just because recent Collective Labour Agreements (CAO’s) in the Netherlands have made training rights for permanent employees also apply to temp workers and secondees. In today’s climate, the development of fexternal workforce is not a cost item, but one of the most powerful levers you can pull as an employer to enhance your attractiveness as an employer.
Cost Item or Investment?
A well-known quote is more relevant than ever: “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.”
For an external worker, relevant work experience and skill development are the only true forms of existential security. By offering them that development, you change the relationship from purely transactional to transformational.
- External workers who are allowed to grow are fully committed to you and speak positively about your company, which in turn leads to good referral recruitment.
- An external worker who is up-to-date with the latest software or techniques works more efficiently and makes fewer mistakes.
- A trained external worker who leaves often returns later as a permanent employee or as a senior freelancer, with all the internal knowledge still intact.
How do you shape that?
Investing in development doesn’t always have to mean an expensive MBA. It’s about creating a good learning ecosystem.
- Micro-learning and on-the-job training
External workers often don’t have time for multi-day courses. Offer short, manageable modules (videos, checklists, short workshops) that are directly applicable on the work floor. - Access to the internal knowledge platform
Do you have an online academy or a library with webinars? Open these up to your external workforce. The marginal costs are often negligible, but the perceived value for the external worker is enormous: “I really belong.” - Mentorship and feedback
This is the most underestimated form of investment. Pair an experienced permanent employee with an external worker. The transfer of ‘tacit knowledge’ (experiential knowledge) is educational for both and strengthens social cohesion in the team.
Where do you start?
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Start small and scalable:
- The needs assessment: Ask your current external pool: “Which skill would make your work easier or more enjoyable?” You will be surprised by the practical answers.
- Onboarding as a foundation: Ensure that the onboarding for external workers is just as qualitative as for permanent staff. This is their first ‘learning moment’.
- Certification: Can you issue a certificate after a project? An official proof of a skill achieved is worth gold to an external worker for their portfolio.
Where does it often go wrong?
Although the intention is good, there are a few classic pitfalls:
- The ‘Exclusion-gap’: Offering training only to permanent staff while the external worker is sitting right next to them. This creates a second-class feeling that is disastrous for your culture.
- Too much focus on ‘hard skills’: Don’t forget the soft skills. Training in effective communication or time management makes a external worker deployable and valuable everywhere.
- The legal fear (False self-employment): With self-employed professionals (zzp’ers), you must be careful with too much ‘direction’ regarding development. Focus here on offering facilities instead of mandating courses.
Employer Branding is what you DO
In a world where everyone claims that “people are our most important capital,” you only truly prove that by also investing in the people who do not have a permanent contract. By contributing to the development of your external shell, you build a reputation as a place where you leave better than you came in. In the current labor market, that is the ultimate form of attractiveness.
Make sure you don’t ‘hide’ these extras. Feature them prominently in your job advertisement or intake interview. “With us, you not only receive a market-compliant rate, but also access to our internal Academy and monthly knowledge sessions.” That is exactly the difference between a ‘temporary gig’ and a ‘career step’.
